Reviews

This is a poor cousin to the Broadway location. The vegetable spring rolls ($5) were fried in oil that tasted like it was a month old. Our main courses arrived as we were starting the appetizer, one five minutes before the other. Ever heard of timing? The sambal green beans with shrimp ($8) were on the dry side but tasty. Needed more sauce to go with the rice. The Nasi Goreng was average. The tables are cramped together but the atmosphere is OK for lunch , for a nice dinner I 'm not too sure.

Thought I would try Kamakura as I had not been there since it changed names. The setting is nice overlooking False Creek and since I was on my own I sat up at the sushi bar where you can watch the culinary skills of the chefs. I had the lunch special which was good value for $8.95. Three pieces of fried "white fish", home-made tartar sauce, greensalad and california rolls. The fish was lighly fried in breadcrumbs and tasty, I asked the waitress what is was, she said cod. No way it was cod so she checked with the chef and it was tilapia. Very tasty but the tartar sauce was like mayonnaise, the Thai dressing on the salad was good and the california rolls just average. However, overall it was good value and I'll be back some time for dinner.

This restaurant is often busy being in a popular location at the Lansdowne Shopping Centre. What a let-down! Four of us went for All you Can Eat Sushi after 9.30PM ($11.95) to celebrate my daughter's birthday. The menu was reduced in size to reflect AYCE, no sashimi or gomae, nothing too exotic. When it arrived it was often dumped on the side of our table, miso soup was tasteless, california rolls had no avocado and the rest of the items tasted like they had been pre-made hours beforehand. (With the speed they arrived they obviously were).We did not eat a lot and the menu states they charge you 50c for every piece not eaten! Obviously they cater to the young crowd who don't care about quality, the hot food might have been better but we didn't stay to find out. There are far better sushi restaurants in Richmond.

This place is small but cosy. The designers went to a lot of trouble to create an authentic Asian feel to the restaurant and the open kitchen with chefs pulling noodles provided for an entertaining meal. I had the beef soup with wontons, veggies and thin noodles. ($7.25) It needed some hot sauce to spice it up but the wontons were fresh and flavourful. My friend had the veggie noodle soup with spicy seasonings($6.99) that she said was tasty. The home made fruit flavoured tea ($2) was excellent. Hope this place survives!

I eat lunch every few months at Hons on Robson because I like the fact its a large crowded restaurant, noisy, clean and you know the food is fresh because it's so busy. The menu is amazing, hundreds of selections, I love their eggplant in black bean sauce but today settled for deep fried cod and brocolli in a spicy bean sauce. It was not oily and very tasty. My friend had BBQ pork & noodles that went over well too. For $20 incl tip on the highest rent street in Vancouver one should not have expectations that are too high.

On the wall is a huge framed award from the Richmond Review for the best Chinese restaurant in Richmond for 2005. There are now 4 Mui Gardens. Not quite sure what happened on Vic Drive because our meal was very ordinary. Bland Chinese food with little flavour. When we asked for some soy sauce the server brought us a little dish of ketchup. How does ketchup sound like soy sauce?? When we wanted to pay the server was nowhere to be found. When she came out of the kitchen it was obvious she had been on a meal break. Well, don't think I'll be back again for a while.

In a hurry with little money? For $5.50 there are 8 special lunches with choice of soup and a jello/fortune cookie for dessert. Whats more the food is above average, hot and the service is fast and friendly. Chicken chow mein in a black bean sauce is one of the eight but they all look good. Try it!

Eating down on the wharf at Pajos is an experience I have every summer, its a great place to take visitors as it is still somewhat off the beaten path that takes tourists to Stanley Park and other large attractions. The halibut and chips is still the best choice but cod and salmon are also available. What I found this time was the staff, mostly students, were impatient with customers and tended to look bored with their job....like, do we have to serve you? I realize it is hard to get summer help but it is a job working in a pleasant environment (love those seagulls) so Pajos should be training their staff to be a little more customer-friendly. Also, how about some different fruit juices and non-carbonated drinks. the selection is quite poor. However, I'll be back for the halibut & chips!

Illuminate has been open for since October, 2005 and already has become known as Tsawwassen's best restaurant. We decided to give it a try on Saturday night with some visitors from Australia. We left a reservation on their voicemail and it was politely confirmed later that day. (The restaurant is not open for lunch). We were greeted and seated quickly and offered a choice of two tables which was a nice touch. The service was professional and the servers smartly dressed. Our server took quite a while to ask us if we wanted drinks and then a while longer to take our order. Generally though the servers were competent but a little on the pretentious side.
The meal was far better than some reviews that had been given from friends ho had eaten there before. We shared appetizers of delicious calamari with a zesty tomato, olive and caper relish and mussels in a delicous tomato broth. For mains two of us had the house rissoto and two had the seafood linguini , both of which were tasty and satisfying.
The deserts were varied and we tried the house tiramisu which was excellent.
There was a good choice of beers (try the lemon ale!), martinis and wines. Prices in general were on the expensive side (starters $7-$14, pastas average $15 and mains $18-$29) for the burbs but good value compared to downtown. Illuminate is modern looking with a lengthy bar, ideal for singles and kitchen watchers. A very enjoyable dining experience

This was a pleasant surprise. Dim Sum for lunch in Chinatown was tasty and the service was friendly. Items are cooked to order and arrive fresh and hot. We had steamed Shiu-Mai (pork dumplings)with tobiko, mini sticky rice wraps, baked BBQ pork pastries and excellent stuffed eggplant with shrimp puree. Most items are $3.50 - $4.00 each and lunch for two with tip came to $20. Busy little crowded restaurant with a Chinatown feel that gave it good ambiance. Definately recommended.

The negative reviews about the India Bistro surprise me. The lunch buffet at $8.95 was good value. We went at 12.15PM and the food was fresh, varied and tasty. Not the best Indian food I have eaten but not the worst by a long way. The restaurant was clean and the server polite and helpful. For a quick West End lunch I would recommend this place to others. It was my third time there and the food has been consistently good.

A Saturday evening after 9.30PM for a tasty dinner with attentive servers who are often impatient to get off work and over to the night market.......the Phnom Penh was up to the task. The deep fried chicken wings with a mouth-watering lemon dipping sauce was the highlight, as identified by other reviewers. The butterfly prawns on a bed of rice/salad was unimaginative and sparse. The chicken in a delicate coconut sauce was much better. The restaurant itself was bright and comfortable and the servers both helful and friendly. Compared to the oversized Floata and other mediocre Chinatown restaurants this place was a hit.

Denman Street has had a heavy turnover of restaurants over the years. The rents are high and the winters are quiet. Despite the large population there are many people who never eat out...Safeway and Super Value are their restaurants. Akira survives because it is a small hole-in-the wall diner with good reliable food and friendly service. The yam tempura rolls are excellent as are their other choices, all good value. Two can eat for $20-$25 which for sushi lovers who can't afford Tojos is not a bad deal.

Alfa has been around longer than most restaurants in Tsawwassen which does not say much for a community deprived of any innovative or must-visit establishments. Its menu is Greek/Italian and typical of many suburban diners that try and please as many people as possible. On this visit we shared some calamari to start ($7.95). It took half an hour to arrive and was just passable. Alfa is well known for its pizzas and we shared a large Greek/Veggie pizza (16.95) that was very good. It took 45 minutes to arrive and our waiter was very casual, pleasant but in no hurry even though there were only a few occupied tables on a slow Monday night. Even bringing the bill was a challenge. I think we will stick to take-out in the future, their pizzas are the best around but dining there is a last resort, but better than our Macdonalds, Fish and Chip shop and Chinese wannabe restaurants. If any decent restaurant operators are reading this there is a great market out here in sunny Tsawwassen.

A very friendly place that accomodates sports fans and others. Especially good to the Chelsea Supporters Club when they play games at lunchtime. They even open for breakfast for the big games from the UK. The food is definitely above average for a pub and they have a fresh sheet every day as well as an extensive menu. Their yam fries are excellent and they will sub them for reg fries for a couple of dollars more. For regulars they have a punch card - if you purchase 6 entrees you receive the 7th for free. (No expiry) I have worked my way through a few cards and the meals have always been good or better. Friendly service and the manager Justin is a hands on guy who is always around if you need him. Good place for us footy guys!

The Fish House is one of Stanley Park's gastronomic gems, a perfect place for a business or special lunch and easy to walk to from the West End. The service is efficient and friendly but it is advisable to let your server know if you have a time-limited lunch. The special of the day was fresh Halibut Cakes with a sweet potato/candied ginger puree that was out of this world, freshly buttered kale and a mild flavoured rice. Well worth the $14.95. Great appetizers and desserts if you want a 3 course lunch and an extensive wine list. Chef Karen Barnaby makes full use of the freshest fish and produce and the restaurant, which has recently been renovated, is both comfortable and stylish. We will be back for dinner!

A good place to go after the movies at Silver City....only 10 minutes up the Steveston Highway. Arrived at 9.15pm and were not rushed at all. They are open to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. The nachos grande ($8.95) were a huge plateful of nachos covered with about 6 toppings - a meal in itself. The burritos ($8.95) were tasty and the tiger shrimp with zuchini had a nice tangy flavor but a bit pricey at $14.95.
Pleasant and friendly service and the atmosphere as good as being in Mexico.

Went this weekend to watch a noon European qualifier soccer game, they were good enough to show it without a cover charge unlike most Vancouver pubs. The food was great, my son had the Huntsman Breakfast that was huge, I had an omlette from the omlette bar, the chef makes it in front of your eyes and there's a choice of about 15 ingredients.....have as many as you like. Very tasty and a bargain at $8.95. Its a shame BC's crazy liquor laws do not allow under 19s in at this time of the day. When will we wake up and get in line with the rest of the world?
The R&C have a new side restaurant that has just opened (the Metro) so will have to try that soon.

Lunch was certainly passable, had the reuben sandwich ($11) that was generous with the corned beef and a nice red potato salad on the side. My friends had the macaroni and burger and seemed to enjoy them. Atmosphere is missing something....high ceilings don't help. A little pricy for lunch but thats Yaletown these days. Worth a second visit.

Have been going here with friends nearly every week for lunch for over a year now. The lunch boxes at $9.95 are a great value, chicken, mackerel or tofu with rice, salad, tempura, veggies, 3 California rolls and 2 sushi (salmon and tuna). The deep fried tofu is the best! A view over English Bay too. Haven't been for dinner yet but friends have and say its excellent. Friendly staff and well worth the climb up the stairs.